53 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I think some mime would have got the message through, or at least provided a talking point at the pub if the message conveyed that you were a dancing monkey and as mad as a hatter.

I have been slowed down in a tunnel by a boater coming too close, i had a light on the stern, so i knew he could see me, plus he saw me enter the tunnel. I was already going a bit sleady as i knew there was a bend ahead. 

 

I'm not sure if you are referring to my passage across the Pontcysyllte but I didn't need to 'mime' anything, I got off the boat and wandered back to suggest that he pull back a bit, after all the boat pretty much takes itself across the aqueduct, doesn't it? The other helm still didn't quite get the point I was trying to make though.

 

I haven't tried miming in a tunnel 'cos I'm not sure that it works

No doubt to be in charge of a large passenger or freight vessel on the canals and rivers, part of the knowledge is knowing the horn signals, but how many |(hire boats in particular) boaters know these signals to be immediately aware of what is going on. Unless everybody knows, use of the horn will only indicate to many that you are in a hurry and that everybody needs to get out of the way - obviously approaching a blind bend or skew bridge it makes sense, although I doubt I will hear you over the sound of my exhaust, but you might hear me!

12 minutes ago, Mike Tee said:

No doubt to be in charge of a large passenger or freight vessel on the canals and rivers, part of the knowledge is knowing the horn signals, but how many |(hire boats in particular) boaters know these signals to be immediately aware of what is going on. Unless everybody knows, use of the horn will only indicate to many that you are in a hurry and that everybody needs to get out of the way - obviously approaching a blind bend or skew bridge it makes sense, although I doubt I will hear you over the sound of my exhaust, but you might hear me!

That is a very valid point, I'm not even convinced that some of the commercial helms know the signals having heard one of the trip boats in Birmingham give three blasts before turning to Starboard out of Oozels loop onto the Main Line at The Sea Life Centre. I was impressed by a tug on the Thames however who gave the absolutely correct 4 shorts and 2 long blasts to indicate that he was completely turning around to port, and that is exactly what he did. He was towing an important barge full of London waste however, not anything trivial, like carrying passengers

I once followed President through Wast Hill tunnel. 

 

Next time I would stop, make a cup of tea and give it half an hour at least. The nostalgic smell of a steam boat pales after 2 minutes to say nothing of the 1950's style smog that clouds your vision.

4 hours ago, LadyG said:

If the boat in front uses hand signals it means he has seen you, and i dont see a problem overtaking on the sde he indicates without further ado,

But is he indicating the side he wants you to pass, or the side he is going to move to?

7 minutes ago, David Mack said:

But is he indicating the side he wants you to pass, or the side he is going to move to?

I had this problem meeting a trip boat in Birmingham that I met. The helm stuck their Right arm out coming towards me so I held my course to pass them left to left when in fact they wanted me to swing out to my left to give them a straight run between the stop lock and bridge. 

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

But is he indicating the side he wants you to pass, or the side he is going to move to?

Because arm signals can cause this sort of confusion, on the odd occasions when I use them I make very exaggerated movements and point to myself then indicate which way I am going. If I want the other boat to go to the "wrong side" I point to them then make an arm signal. It has never been misunderstood - so far 🙂 

8 hours ago, LadyG said:

Buy a handheld air horn.

 

I have one in my boat. I used it approaching a blind bend and as I came round the bend a boat was waiting for me to pass. As I went past the steerer shouted "oh, it's a boat, I thought it would be an express train!" 🤣😂

3 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I had this problem meeting a trip boat in Birmingham that I met. The helm stuck their Right arm out coming towards me so I held my course to pass them left to left when in fact they wanted me to swing out to my left to give them a straight run between the stop lock and bridge. 

 

I completely ignore arm signals if they're given.

2 minutes ago, Paul C said:

 

I completely ignore arm signals if they're given.

I did, she was not amused 

My favourite arm signal is both  open-hands/arms held upward at about 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock to indicate " I haven't a clue what you're intending to do, your current course is ambiguous, please give us a clue".   Primarily used when entering the stem of a T junction and another boat is about to emerge without indicating whether they are going left or right so I don't know what side to pass.

2 hours ago, Paul C said:

 

I completely ignore arm signals if they're given.

Always the best policy I find. As an example whilst travelling on the Coventry Canal yesterday, approaching a blind corner with a tree overhanging on my side and a boat moored on the other side (why do they do that???) a hire boat came around the corner at the most inopportune moment. There was a guy in cratch waving frantically with his right arm (was he indicating to me?or his helm?) so I studiously ignored him and got on with what I was doing, which was avoiding any collision.

57 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Always the best policy I find. As an example whilst travelling on the Coventry Canal yesterday, approaching a blind corner with a tree overhanging on my side and a boat moored on the other side (why do they do that???) a hire boat came around the corner at the most inopportune moment. There was a guy in cratch waving frantically with his right arm (was he indicating to me?or his helm?) so I studiously ignored him and got on with what I was doing, which was avoiding any collision.

 

On the rare occasions I feel the need to give hand signals I point to myself, then in the direction I intend to go followed by pointing to the other steerer and then in the direction I would like him to go.

 

It is not infallible, but has a greater chance of success than just randomly pointing.

36 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

On the rare occasions I feel the need to give hand signals I point to myself, then in the direction I intend to go followed by pointing to the other steerer and then in the direction I would like him to go.

 

It is not infallible, but has a greater chance of success than just randomly pointing.

 

I suspect with the lack of standardisation of hand signals, you'd have more success with flashing your headlight in morse code or hoisting flags up a mast, to get your message across to another boater.

13 minutes ago, Paul C said:

 

...lack of standardisation of hand signals, ...

Yes: approaching steerer, bow pointing to their right (as might be expected), was furiously pointing left. Hmmmm. Slow down a bit until their intentions become clearer. Which they eventually did: there was an unusual bird on the towingpath which oncoming crew needeed to be informed about....

 

And later the same day, different boat, their bow pointing to their left, the towingpath side. Happy to pass that way to help them moor, so move my bows to my left to signify agreement. This time crew on their bow furiously pointing right. Hmmmm. Slow down again as that worked well earlier ... this time it was a message to their steerer that they have just passed (on their right) the mooring-basin they were headed for. Much reversing by them, and hence by us, and blocking the cut until they were out of the way ...

Almost as good as when they are boating by committee and someone on the bow says they are going left while someone on the back says they are going to the right and the chap steering is trying to see ahead past them to actually steer the boat 

On 10/06/2024 at 08:29, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I'm guessing that in the last 10 years she may have found a solution.

 

 

For anyone wanting the 'sound signals' print this off and keep it by your helm.

Even if the 'other boat' doesn't understand your signal, you have at least made the effort, which would be in your favour in the event of an accident.

 

A 'short beep' should be 1 second and a 'long beep' 2 to 3 seconds.

 

 

The definition for long, short, short isn't complete. It's more usually difficulty in manoeuvring, not inability, and an instruction/request to keep out of the way. This may be due to being deep draughted, temporarily aground, towing, etc. See Colregs 35(c) and BW Byelaws 12(c)

On 10/06/2024 at 00:32, agg221 said:

Atlas and Malus are quite slow through Netherton. They were not in sight as we came down the main line before turning at Dudley Port, and were not in sight between the junction and the tunnel approach, but we caught them less than halfway through the tunnel. All perfectly reasonable - their right of way, nobody close at the time they entered the tunnel and passing a pair is not going to end well but there were half a dozen boats behind them by the end of it.

 

They let everyone past just down the Dudley No.2 but caught us up again part way through Gosty Hill

A&M got overtaken quite a bit - Tatty Lucy passed us at Dunkirk Stop and Misty Blue on the tunnel branch, plus the several boats at Windmill End. In the first case Mike and I argued a bit about stopping in the toll island to let them past on the other side - slower, but less to go wrong - he won and we did it that way. That idea backfired on us at Smethwick last year though when the overtaking boat went quite firmly aground in the less-used side, which iirc you were afraid of at Windmill End but it's fine there.

 

Out of curiosity did you encounter a couple who'd walked through on the 'wrong' towpath next to us? They'd squeezed through a hole in the north end gate and then got stuck inside the non-holed south gate. Considered stopping to pick them up but it seemed a recipe for disaster at short notice with a butty and several boats close behind.

 

There were a number of boats behind us behind you by the end of Gosty. Not the nicest tunnel to be crawling through with several smoky diesels; a bit of a 'telephone game' relay behind us asking what the holdup was...

 

On 10/06/2024 at 09:43, Stroudwater1 said:

There can be reasons to pass in a tunnel. I’ve known a boat ahead have a snapped cable,

I remember that incident, it was the first time we met. 😀

 

On the rare occasions I overtake another boat, my biggest issue is when I'm 3/4 of the way past them the displacement sucks their bows towards me. When I'm being overtaken I'm ready for it and try to steer against it and sometimes adjust my speed accordingly, often a quick thrust of power for a second or two does the trick. Inexperienced obviously boaters don't do this and are noticeably surprised when it happens.

 

Despite me having boated extensively for many years, overtaking other boats is something I've always struggled with, so have you others any tips?

 

Obviously I try to choose a wide and straight section to do it, I give it as wide a berth as possible, and not pass too quickly, but often despite them calling me on, the boat being overtaken doesn't slow down enough and I end up having to increase my speed because of a bend or narrows ahead, and this of course compounds the problem!

1 hour ago, Grassman said:

 

On the rare occasions I overtake another boat, my biggest issue is when I'm 3/4 of the way past them the displacement sucks their bows towards me. When I'm being overtaken I'm ready for it and try to steer against it and sometimes adjust my speed accordingly, often a quick thrust of power for a second or two does the trick. Inexperienced obviously boaters don't do this and are noticeably surprised when it happens.

 

Despite me having boated extensively for many years, overtaking other boats is something I've always struggled with, so have you others any tips?

 

Obviously I try to choose a wide and straight section to do it, I give it as wide a berth as possible, and not pass too quickly, but often despite them calling me on, the boat being overtaken doesn't slow down enough and I end up having to increase my speed because of a bend or narrows ahead, and this of course compounds the problem!

Apart from what you said there's not much else you can do, what's really needed is the boat being overtaken to slow right down and be ready to countersteer when they inevitably get pulled towards your boat as you describe.

 

On 14/06/2014 at 21:53, patty-ann said:

OK please where do I find the tooting rules? Thankyou,

Tooting Market – Tooting Market hosts a variety of tenants selling fresh foods, ladies and men's fashion, music, hair and nail salons, arts and crafts, furniture, a food court …

Edited June 23, 20242 yr by Laurie Booth

The main problem with using the official sound signals is the other boat often assumes you are tooting "at them", and is at risk of taking umbrage. 

 

Whilst in actual fact the sound signal is to inform any other boat within hearing distance what the signalling boat is doing.

Someone waved me past yesterday and as I was half way past them they decided to speed up so they could steer straight which then just caused them to get dragged along at my speed.  I was able to steer away from them and increase my speed a bit more to make it past them.

3 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Someone waved me past yesterday and as I was half way past them they decided to speed up so they could steer straight which then just caused them to get dragged along at my speed.  I was able to steer away from them and increase my speed a bit more to make it past them.

Maybe if they had a bow thruster they could have used that to stop their boat being pulled towards yours? 😉

Edited June 23, 20242 yr by IanD

22 hours ago, IanD said:

Apart from what you said there's not much else you can do, what's really needed is the boat being overtaken to slow right down and be ready to countersteer when they inevitably get pulled towards your boat as you describe.

 

Yes and there lies the problem. Unfortunately you've no way of knowing how experienced or competent the boater being overtaken is, hence the reason I rarely do it unless they are a particularly slow dawdler.